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The Daily Muck
So much for unity in times of crisis. Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA) has accused Minnesota of exploiting the federal government's generosity in responding to the recent bridge collapse. He claimed that they accepted $250 million dollars in bridge repair "to screw us", because the state realized that "they were going to get all the money from the federal government and they were taking all they could get." Via Think Progress. (Times Leader)
Stop being hypersensitive. That’s effectively what officials are saying to employees at the Interior Department (which oversees the country's natural resources) who are suffering from nausea and headaches due to continuing renovations on the department’s DC headquarters. General Services Administration officials overseeing the 12-year renovation say they publish regular air quality reports and have installed a fan to “blow out bad air.” (WaPo)
While on the subject of Guantanamo, the British government did in fact request the return of five citizens that are currently being held as detainees at Guantanamo Bay. In true diplomatic form, the U.S. offered an even better deal: Britain can take all the detainees that we don't want anymore. Britain has thus far suggested that it is not interested in the U.S.'s "generosity." (Financial Times)
Hundreds of hurricane victims who lived in FEMA-issued, formaldehyde-laden trailers are suing the manufacturers of the trailers for “cutting corners.” FEMA has not been named in the lawsuit. (Associated Press)
Lawmakers are considering relieving FEMA of its responsibility to oversee long-term disaster recovery. They claim that FEMA does not have the organizational structure to handle situations of crisis management that last more than a few weeks. I'm sure New Orleans residents are thrilled that the agency has taken this hard look at its own capacities. (Boston Globe)
The American Bar Association is considering a proposal that recommends limiting public access to criminal records, but media organizations say this would violate the First Amendment and make it more difficult to expose police and prosecutor misconduct. The ABA argues that the unsealed records allow employers and landlords to discriminate against people who were arrested but never convicted of crimes. Even if the ABA approves the proposal, state and federal law would have to be changed in order to implement it. (Associated Press)
Comments (9)
Richard L. Adlof wrote on August 9, 2007 11:11 AM:What in the hell is Kanjorski smoking . . . I wanta be sure I get none of that.
The Constitution says that America is about the people welfare and defense . . . Begrudging money for infastructure and protecting the public is a Republican ideal and down right 'un-American'.
TheraP wrote on August 9, 2007 11:21 AM:Here's some Muck I've been thinking about this morning. The British are upset about the US special forces tactics in the province of Afghanistan (that they are trying to pacify). In particular the British don't like US special forces calling in air-strikes, which end up harming civilians - and interfering with the "pacification" process the British are pursuing.
Now, let's move over to Iraq. And consider something similar. They began the surge, with the idea of "boots on the ground" - troops patrolling Baghdad. But, predictably, the troop casualties went up! So, now, the so-called "counter-insurgency type surge" is apparently being changed, and today's Times (front page) shows a picture of a huge funeral for the Shia casualties, due to bombing a city! Now, tell me, is bombing a city part of "counter-insurgency?" Or is a tactic of "force protection?"
That's the Muck I'm thinking about today. I am no foreign policy expert. I am no military expert. But I follow the "if it happened in my neighborhood" school of thinking. So, if you were trying to get my neighbors on your side, and you bombed the neighborhood, destroying some homes and killing some neighbors - guess what? The rest of us would not feel inclined to like you very much!!
Anonymous wrote on August 9, 2007 12:48 PM:And the noose grows tighter:
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced that starting six months from now airlines operating international flights will be required to send the government their passenger list data before the planes take off rather than afterwards, as is now the case.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070809/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/secure_flight
JEP wrote on August 9, 2007 1:00 PM:"the 12-year renovation.."
What is this the only way they can get the true public servants to quit their posts?
So they can be replaced with operatives from CHeney's Energy Industry Task Force.
Downright Rovian: destroy the work environment for qualified environmental watchdogs, so they resign and aren't empowered to protect the environment from corporate monopolists who would poiton their own children for profit.
Thes guys make Machaivelli look like a philanthropist...
swu wrote on August 9, 2007 2:04 PM:"While on the subject of Guantanamo, the British government did in fact request the return of five citizens that are currently being held as detainees at Guantanamo Bay."
From what I've heard the 5 people whose release was requested are legal residents of the UK, but not British citizens.
Fozzetti wrote on August 9, 2007 2:35 PM:Oh, Britian, PLEASE do take all the unwanted prisoners. It would earn you much praise and acclaim. Help those poor men, boys and women.
Eric Ferguson wrote on August 9, 2007 4:54 PM:Maybe Kanjorski is right about the process of appropriating $250 million for Minnesota. I have no idea. I wondered if that was the bridge cost or a random guess, like money appropriated after other disasters. I do however take some umbrage at the notion that Minnesotans neglected our infrastructure. Kanjorski could at least acknowledge that his fellow Democrats in Minnesota have been trying for years to raise the gas tax for road maintenance, and Republicans keep blocking it, just like they've used control of the federal government to shortchange infrastructure maintenance. The bridge collapsed here, but the problem is nationwide and the cause is the same everywhere. This is an issue of party and ideology, not state.
The Oracle wrote on August 9, 2007 9:50 PM:Good point TheraP.
Today, though, I'm into retro-Muck.
August 9, 1974.....NIXON RESIGNS.
Except for a passing comment in the Oddball segment of Keith Olbermann tonight, I've not seen or heard a single reference to this being the thirty-third anniversary of Richard Nixon resigning in disgrace.
Nor have I read one account comparing the criminality in the Nixon administration with the criminality in the Bush administration.
Cinemax, at least, has been airing "All the President's Men" this past week. While watching, I've been shocked at all the similarities between what Bush and Cheney have been doing and the criminal acts committed by Republicans in the Nixon administration. Watch "All the President's Men" and see what I mean.
TheraP wrote on August 9, 2007 10:25 PM:Oracle, I always appreciate your comments. You do well to focus on the retro-Muck today. I well recall that moment = that now seems so frozen in time. Wish I had something useful to say. I am sick at heart.